Which War Am I Fighting?
by ItchyWitch
Summary: Ral/Trench: When Ren Cormel decides Rachel isn't showing him results fast enough he turns to Trent to save the Vampires. Rachel, deemed useless and knowing too much of Cormel's plans needs the help of her Demon to survive the new bounty on her head. Trent can help them both from the inside but something doesn't feel right... and Trent and Al are acting really strange...
1. Little Green Vial

"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel!" My teacher chastised as I knocked over a bottle of screaming contents. Hissing Latin curses under his breath he tipped the bottle right side up quickly and it disappeared in a golden wash of ever after.

"I've never used a flesh replacing curse in my whole life, Al.." It was still my fault, no questions there, but I was getting damned frustrated. I'd been at it for several hours now, to no avail.

_The Cookie-Maker had better be grateful, too._ I thought to myself.

Trenton Kalamack, my long time rival, drug pedaling political cover boy and Elf-in–semi-hiding was missing a few fingers. All thanks to my demon, I might add, and I was I trying I to twist a curse to give them back to him.

"If you had just fucked your Elf and gotten your curiosities sated and over with," He was towering over me now, red goat-slitted eyes ablaze and nostrils flaring. "he would still _have_ his precious digits. But nooo," He rolled his eyes and threw his hands into the air. "You've got to play with your nasty little men before you bed them! I do wish you'd just play with me, Rachel Mariana Morgan…" He grasped my hips and yanked them against his own. "I am, after all, a much better choice…"

I shoved him. "Get the hell off of me! Gods… Can't you teach me anything without trying to get into my pants?" He grinned at me and rounded his new library table I'd asked him to get, straitening his already crisp crushed velvet coat. I liked the library best of all his rooms I'd seen and he put up no fuss the night I asked about moving our weekly lessons there entirely. It was warmest in here, cozy almost. It had cost me an extra lesson that week, but it was a small price to pay.

Al continued with the lesson and it went on for about two hours more before I finally got it right. "Splendid!" He gushed, clapping his hands together once in a familiar show of praise.

I smiled back at him thinking that our relationship had evolved so much since that night with Nick in the Universities underground library. There had been a time when those eyes of his shocked me to my core and the rank stench of burnt amber had spelled danger, possibly death. Now he was just Al. Still a demonic force to be reckoned with and a man with a damned hot temper, sure… but for the most part I was okay with him and think that in his own way, he was okay with me too.

"Tell him to take it before bed and to make sure he doesn't have any place to be the next day."

I paled at his devilishly pleased expression. "Why no place to be the next day?" I asked, worried that what I'd just created might really hurt Trent too.

"Because growing new fingers can get… _messy._" My eyes widened at that and he raised a brow at me. I envied that he could do it. No matter how much time I spent in front of a mirror, I could never achieve that particular brand of badassery. "Why do you care so much?"

"Why would I have begged for you to teach me how to make this," I snatched the little green vile from his grasp and shook it. "If I _didn't_ care even a little bit?" He pursed his lips at me and I shrugged. "I want to be able to warn him of any… side effects. He might not be to happy about downing a curse in the first place and that's if he accepts it at all…"

"He doesn't know that you made this for him?" He was smug, as if he'd just uncovered a little secret.

"Well, no…" I stammered and he grinned wide enough to show me his big blocky teeth.

Suddenly a wash of ever after cascaded over him and I baulked when it cleared away to reveal a gorgeous Elven man. "Miss Morgan." Al said in Trent's voice and I backed up a step." How thoughtful of you to do such a thing." He had him pegged from Trenton's silky baby-soft hair to his confident rich boy stance. "How can I ever repay you…"

He lunged for me, red demon eyes glittering where Trent's should have been. "Al! Knock it off!" I roared, catching an intoxicating whiff of cinnamon and wine. He didn't stop though, in fact he kept up with the charade, chasing me down and pinning me to one of his great fire-side chairs.

_And to think I was just deciding that he was an alright guy…_

"Get the hell off me!" I screamed up into his perfect face.

"Aw, What's wrong Miss Morgan?" He wedged a knee between my knees and shimmied in between my legs where he rolled his body slow and suggestively, grinding his crotch against mine… and sweet mother of Tink did it look good on Trent.. "Don't you like me?" I felt my face grow hot and he threw his head back to laugh at me before disappearing from the chair and back to the table, leaving me out of breath and pissed as hell.

"Not funny, you randy bastard!" I shouted, leaping from the chair and starting towards the table to collect my things.

"Oh hush." He laughed. "You're infatuated with him, Rachel. So much so that you enjoyed my little game as much as I did."

"Would you just shut up and jump me back home?" I growled, shoving that last of my books and utensils into my bag and slipping Trenton's vial into my stupid girl-pants-sized front pocket. I tell yuh, the pockets on a pair of ladies jeans are fucking useless unless you only carry chapstick around… or demon curses… hell…

Without a word Al reached for me and was jumping me back home. Didn't even say goodbye, just left me out in the garden. But it wasn't like I wanted to say goodbye…

_See if I ever bring him marshmellows again_ I thought.

There wasn't any sign of Ivy or Jenks and his kids in the house when I got in and it was only 8:30 pm. I went to put my things away and wondered if should deliver the little vial to Trent now or tomorrow…

I sighed as I plucked the curse from my pocket and set it on my dresser. _What to do, What to do…_


	2. A Nostalgic Walk

*********************SPOILERS FOR EVER AFTER***********************

**So, I know that Trent gets his fingers back at the end of Ever After, but I'm changing that part. I didn't really like that bit… (Though Al talking about the 'snake-in-a-turtle-neck-look' was fucking priceless) It made me sad :( So forget that. Sorry if you really liked it but never fear. There will be plenty of inebriated Al in later chapters (yum) and besides, I gotta tie up some stuff in this chapter so everything flows well for what is to come ;D**

**Thanks lisa. francis .96780 for the Review! Using it!**

**And Cassie, you make a great point. Sharing really is caring ;) *****hint hint*******

I inched towards the entry gate of the Kalamack estate in my adorable Mini Cooper. I probably should have called first, but I knew that that might have ended with me explaining the nature of my visit and Trenton hanging up abruptly. Trent didn't have a history of particularly liking Demons, their magic or anything else pertaining to them.. Why he seemed to like me hovering around was a mystery, though it probably had something to do with the children. Trying to get him to hear me out about the curse I'd twisted for him would be easier to pitch in person rather than over the phone. Trent had been very distant since coming back from the Ever After and I just hoped that my abrupt visit wouldn't annoy him so much he'd have me escorted out at the mere mention of it. I had planned on taking the smut cost though… He might think twice once I tell him that, right?

The young brunette manning the raised gate-house peered down at me through the Plexiglas window with a less that inviting expression. "Morgan." He sneered. "Mr. Kalamack isn't expecting you this evening."

"Well," I squinted at the little nametag pinned to the breast pocket of his pressed blue uniform. "Adam, That's because he doesn't know I'm coming."

"Well I can't let you in without an appointment." He snapped. "Not after seven o'clock."

I glared at him. He must be new. If he weren't he'd know my goddaughter was in there and I come and go frequently. Of course all of those times I was either invited or I called about it days in advance. _Shit._

Well can you give him a ring? Him or Quen? This is important." I added a forceful "_Please?_" When he made no move to comply and he gingerly pulled the mic pinned to his collar up to his lips and spoke. "Rachel Morgan is at the gate." He said. A gravely voice rumbled on the other line, too rasping to understand through the glass, though I did have a pretty good Idea of who it was. He exchanged a few more comments before I heard a phone ring. He grimaced and reached for it, before opening his window and extending the receiver to me.

Knowing exactly who would be on the other line, I took the phone and said, "Hey Quen."

"Rachel, you're at the gate?" He sounded exhausted and I told him so. "You'd be surprised just how much energy these little ones have." He chuckled. "I cant imagine how things will be when they decide they want boyfriends…"

He sounded genuinely afraid and I laughed out loud. "Oh you'll be fine." He was so much like my father so I knew he would be. "I need to talk to Trent. You wanna tell this Noobie to let me in?"

"Sure," He said, "but _you're_ looking after the girls as soon as their finished eating. I am about spent."

"Deal." I smiled to myself, anticipating the two squishy elf babies that would soon be giggling in my arms as I handed the phone back to Adam.

He chatted with Quen for a moment and then he reluctantly opened the gate. I winked at him, much to his displeasure, and gave him a bunny eared kiss-kiss on my way through.

Inside it was nice and toasty and I shrugged out of my brand new maroon leather jacket and draped it over my arm before starting off to Trent's office, adjusting my black v-neck sweater as I went. A nostalgic walk, that. No matter how many times I was invited over for time with the girls I still shivered with the memories of sneaking around in this place. I remember feeling almost disappointed when I realized that the war between Trent and I was slowly dying down to a quiet smolder. Breaking into the Kalamack Estate might just be one of the most exciting things I've ever done and, though I might not ever admit it, part of me longed for it. I craved that special kind of high that for some reason I could only reach when I was slinking around here. Hell… maybe I just craved—

"Morgan." I whirled to find Trenton standing in the hall behind me, calm, collected and confident as usual. He was dressed in a pair of casual jeans and a thick forest green sweater that brought out his eyes and accentuated his broad shoulders. He held a tray in his good hand; two little cups perched atop it, both piping hot.

"Hey Trent." I said smiling faintly. He'd been so closed lately and I wasn't sure how to approach him.

"I thought you might be coming down this way." He stalked to me, extending the tray as he neared. I raised a brow at the forest green mugs but took one, looking up at him with a question in my eyes. "My office is being renovated." He explained. "We will have to talk in my secondary office." I looked down to the steaming tea and back to him. "I like taking tea in there. I was getting myself some when I got the word from Quen and thought you might like a cup."

I sipped the contents, smiling and humming around my mouth of sleepytime. "Thanks." I lifted the cup. "Its good."

He smiled one of his real smiles and I returned it thinking that though I missed breaking into this mans office, the common ground we'd come to find really did have its perks. I would bet money that the amount of people who could get a genuine smile from Trent could be counted on his good hand, and I was among them. That fact flitted happily within me.

He started off to his secondary office and I followed. I actually liked the semi-outdoors office a lot better than his formal one. It felt more like a home than most of the space in his rich boy castle. Upon entering the room he moved for the coat around my arm and I let him take it, glancing over to the familiar bench beside the far wall as he went to hang my jacket on the coat rack beside the door to the garden. A tremor of pleasure dove through me, laced with adrenaline at the memory of a late night escapade. I remembered crouching behind his desk, clutching the evidence of his treachery to me, silent as he strode through the darkened room in his riding boots. He'd sat in on that very bench with his back to me, fiddling with his footwear and I remember the way his muscles had moved beneath his thin shirt as he worked, speaking into the darkness a moment later when I thought he'd never find me. I'd fooled myself into thinking I'd be safe that night. Boy had I been wrong..

I looked up from the memory when I noticed that he too had fallen silent. He was looking at the bench as well, and then to me, probably remembering his own version of that night. I flushed and he smirked to himself as he rounded the desk and sat down. I sat in one of the comfy chairs before the desk and slipped the little vial out of my pocket, placing it on the surface before him before leaning back into my seat.

His face blanked for a moment, and he looked from the vile to me, serious. He recognized it as Al's, of course. I never spelled with fancy vintage pieces like the intricate glass before him. My Demon was the only one I knew who was smug and flamboyant enough to use ancient spellware. Maybe other demons did it too, but I had a feeling Al was over the top even compared to them.

"It's a curse." He said.

"Yes." I told him. "One that I owe you." I glanced to his bad hand, or his arm, rather. He'd taken to hiding it from me, having slipped it under the table somewhere. I'd never seen the actual damage before, having no idea what his hand actually looked like now. The closest I'd ever gotten was seeing the bloodied bandages when he'd infiltrated my dreams to kiss me awake. _Oh that kiss…_ "It will give you your fingers back." I said. "I've neglected it long enough." And I really had. It had been forever since he'd been whole… but to tell you the truth I think the main reason for my not having fixed him sooner was because part of me thought I might not be useful to him after all was replaced. That was ridiculous; of course, I mean he'd made me the godmother of his child… I would still have the right to be here for that fact alone if for nothing else. But I still worried, even if I'd never say it. He reached for the vial, holding the green thing up to the light and turning it around in his fingers. "And if you will accept it, I insist you let me take the smut for it." I looked down at my hands feeling guilty and hating myself for looking so stupid.

"How exactly does it work?"

When I looked up he was still examining the glass and I was relieved, knowing he hadn't seen my guilty flush. "Al said just to down it. To do it before bed and make sure you had your schedule cleared the next day."

He looked at me then, "Why?"

"I think it's going to hurt…" I hated that he would have to endure pain to gain what had already been painfully ripped from him. "The healing curses he usually runs on me never hurt, but those have only ever been cuts, scrapes, flesh wounds. You'll be replacing bone this time… It will be different and it will take longer."

"I have a clear schedule tomorrow." He said. "For a while actually." I blinked at him and he explained, setting the vial down, this time closer to him. "As you know, Quen will be taking the girls to stay with Elizbeth for a while."

"I still can't believe you're going along with that…" I grumbled.

"Yes, but it was either that or invite her to stay here. As much as I don't want to send the children away I don't think I could survive her ranting and complaining over everything the way she does. I am tired, Rachel. I need some time to myself." He pinched the bridge of his nose and then dropped his good hand into his lap, fully relaxing back into his chair. "Quen shouldn't be away from them, though. He will need them to heal after…" His voice trailed off as he refused to say 'after Ceri's death.' "He'll act as a buffer, too." He continued as if he'd never faltered, shoving his pain down to wherever it was he stored all of his true emotions. "If the girls come back acting like her I'll go insane."

"I'll get her for you if it comes to that." I laughed.

"I might have to hold you to that, Morgan." He laughed with me but the sound faded abruptly, leaving us in a deep silence.

"Its so quiet here now."

He hummed in agreement. "All but the gatehouse managers, a few maids and the grounds keepers are gone. I gave them all time off. I usually immerse myself in work when I'm stressed, flip the offices into overtime and work through the fog. This time, though…" This time things had been too bad. "My apartments are all empty." He told me, a whisper of the true and honest feeling that he sometimes showed me bleeding through to the surface of him. "It becomes unbearable sometimes but I don't think I can go back to the way things were just yet. It has been harder to recover, this time."

'_Harder to put the Kalamack mask on'_ I thought. "I know what you mean." I agreed. "Ivy spends most of her time with Nina now, helping her beat this whole Felix thing. Even Jenks is absent most of the time. His children are starting to leave… Most days he's out helping them and even when he's home he so quite, worrying for his children." Everything was changing and much to quickly for me. "I can't stand knocking around the church by myself. And then there's Al, The poor bastard. He's so flippin' bored now he calls me every time he feels like it… I had to block him for a while, until he calmed down."

Trent smirked and I think it was the first time he'd ever smiled when I spoke of my demon. "He popped over a few days ago."

I gasped, sitting up straight. "He what? Oh my god, Trent… I'm sorry, I had no idea.."

He held up a hand. "No. It was… fine, I think."

I tried to raise a brow at him and failed miserably. "Algaliarept, the Demon whose wrath I came here to repair," I gestured to the curse, "Popped into your home and it was fine?"

He nodded, gingerly. "My opinion of him has… transformed. I did see into him, if you remember. I saw into both of you. I haven't interacted with him as you have. I think I had assumed these passed years that he was tormenting you constantly, hurting you and twisting you into something. I wasn't expecting the trust I found between you two. You respect each other, you care about each other. I saw and understood it. You forgave him for so much so quickly… but after seeing everything I don't mind him so much anymore… as long as he and Quen aren't in the same room. That's ugly to think about."

I nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Yes, I suppose. He is a very complicated person but there really is something to him, I think. He's learning to trust again, learning to feel when he has been hollow for so long."

"He came here asking after a summoning name of sorts." He said.

"Who's?" I blanched.

"Mine. He wants me to become a part of the Demon collective. Says If I'm going to be Prince of the Elves I have to converse with all of them regularly. "

That actually made sense to me and I told him so. "I think there was a time when there was trust and common ground between our two races. It makes sense that they would want to reestablish that. Keep the peace." Then I realized something. "Hey, when he showed up, you didn't let him into the kitchen did you?"

He eyed me suspiciously. "What does that have to do with anything?"

I smiled. "Whenever he shows up at the church he steals food. I didn't mind too much until he started snatching the coffeemaker too. Just gets really annoying is all. Watch out."

Trent laughed out loud, shocking me. "Oh, we've already had to deal with that. He has such a sweet tooth. Took all the marshmallows he could find. I couldn't enjoy a decent cup of cocoa for three days." I couldn't help my laughter. Al _did_ have a thing for marshmallows. Trent reached for the vial again, tapping it on the desk a few times before saying, "I will use this."

I let out a breath. "Good… I'm glad."

He smiled one of my favorite smiles, eyes glittering as he rose from his seat and slipped the vial into his pocket. "Me too. And thank you, Rachel. Now, Quen should be don't feeding the girls by now. Shall we?"

I grinned looking forward to the little bundles of Elven cuteness. "Absolutely."

**Okay! Chapter ended! Lots of talking I know, But I had to get it out of the way. It'll get real interesting from here on out. Send some ideas my way if you happen to think of anything you might like to see in Chapter 3. I'm starting on it now so it'll be up soon! Cant wait for you to read what I have in store for you all :D**


	3. Souls in Bottles

**A/N: ****Spoilers for Ever After******

**I also just realized something. Its possible that I might spell some spells and names wrong because I never actually read the books, I listened to the audio books. (I recommend those, btw. Marguerite Gavin reads them sooo well) So sorry in advance for that. You can correct me on stuff if you spot something **

Ivy was home when I got back and I plopped down on one of her comfy armchairs beside the couch where she was lounging. "Long time no see, stranger." I said.

She looked up at me from her phone, face stoic. "Nina called," She told me. "said she thought someone was following her."

"Following her? Again?" A bad sign. After Nina had shoved a master vampire out of her head a couple weeks back, she'd been having some trouble being on her own. The vampire himself was after her, forcing Nina to take up residence in a secret safe house every night from sun down to sun up.

"Living Vamps. He's sending them after her during the day, now. Probably hoping to discover where she goes every evening." Her face showed no emotion, but her voice gave everything away. Ivy was worried and if she wasn't sure what to do then we had a serious problem. "I was thinking about spending the next few nights with her. Starting tomorrow night."

"You should." I agreed. I'd seen first hand what a Dead Vamp could do to a Living one. Piscary had melted Ivy down to a raw shadow of sorrow and pain in a single night. Nina was strong willed, I guess but she's no Ivy Tamwood… and Felix was so old. "Felix is out of his Turn blasted mind."

"That he is." She shifted on the couch in her black silken lounge pants and matching top. "So where were you?"

"Trent's." She lifted a brow but never took her eyes of the screen of her iPhone. "I brought him that curse I was telling you about, visited with the girls a while." Then I sat up, remembering something odd. "Al went to visit Trent a few days ago. Popped right into his house."

She looked at me then. "I thought he wasn't going to do that anymore."

"Same here, and I thought Trent would be pissed but he said it was '_fine'_."

Her brows furrowed ever so slightly. "Trenton Kalamack." I nodded. "And your Demon."

"Yep. Fucking weird, right?"

"I thought they hated each other."

"Me too. Oh yeah and something else weird. On my way out of there I could have sworn I smelled vamp incense." I thought back to when I'd reached for the handle of the car door. I'd caught only a faint whiff of it but felt no one around me. I was completely alone for sure. It could have been some of Ivy's scent on my clothes. She _had_ bought my new jacket for me, but I knew it was more then that when her eyes widen and she stood.

"I'm gonna order pizza." She blurted, as nervous as I'd ever heard her.

"Ivy…?" I questioned accusingly, rising to follow her into the kitchen. "What are you not telling me?"

"I was thinking a Super Combo sounds good. You want anything else?"

"Ivy." I reached for her phone as she lifted it up to her ear, which was stupid. How the hell was I going to snatch something out of Living Vamps hand?

She pulled it out of my reach before I could snatch it and eyed me. I eyed her right back and her pupils started to dilate, the room filling with her delicious scent. She shook her head abruptly, snapping herself out of it and stalking to collapse in her chair.

"What?" I insisted again once she looked like she had more control.

"Ren might have asked about Trent a week or so ago." She said sourly.

"And?" that wasn't so bad. There had to be more.

She let out a breath. "He was curious about your change of heart regarding Kalamack. You've been rushing around, sticking your neck out for that man lately when last year you would stop at nothing to see him in jail. I told him he saved your life and maybe that had something to do with it." She still wasn't telling me anything and she actually winced when I kept eying her, worrying me further. Ivy didn't wince. She might grimace or scowl… but she never winced. "I may have mentioned the, um, soul in a bottle thing… Now he thinks if you cant save our soul, Trenton probably can."

"What?" I growled it.

"He thinks if Trent can remove our souls during the moment of death, capture it before it goes wherever it goes and then put it back after we revive, we will be saved."

"And where does that leave us, exactly?!" This could be really bad.

"Well I thought he would have talked to you about it. That's why I didn't say anything about it sooner. But I guess he didn't want you to know. Which is bad." I hated seeing her so nervous. "If he was planning on keeping us in on the boat you would know by now."

"But you know?"

"I was eavesdropping." She sighed. "He was in his office on his private line. I heard him going over things before I got to the door."

"Well shit, who was on the other line?"

She leaned forward, looking angry, but I knew it was just a front for her fear. "I have to fucking idea, Rachel…" She snapped. "But whoever it was it isn't good."

So what? He's sending scouts over to Trent's now?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions here. I'm sure its Cormell but is there any other explanation for Vampire scent to have been present there?" Her thumb and index finger of her right hand were pressed together, the other three fingers spread wide as she gestured in the air as if marking down an imaginary list.

"No." I told her. "I thought it might have been your scent on the jacket you bought me but the wind was blowing too hard tonight. The scent traveled to me. Plus Trent has absolutely no Vampires on his staff. Even if he did hire some that I don't know about, he sent everyone home. Gave them all time off accept for a handful of people, most of which weren't even there tonight." God I hate Dead Vamps. "Ren doesn't even know if Trent's bottle trick will work! Why stalk around his place?" And Trenton would never help him anyways… right?

Trent had told me once that he would do anything, whatever he had to, to save the ones he held dear… If Ren threatened his family would Trent grant the Vampires their souls? Would he let Cormell destroy Ivy and me to save his family? Would he stand by while someone hurt Bis or Jenks and his kids? I had no idea what Trent would do and I was furious. I didn't have a problem with giving Vampires their souls back or saving them before they were lost to madness. I just wasn't a fan of the way Cormell was doing it and I was particularly fond of most of the Vampires that could be backing him on this. Cormell was all gravy in person, pleasant, very human-like but some of the others were so old they didn't give a shit anymore and any one of them could be who he was chatting with on the phone..

"I'm sorry Rachel. You, Jenks, Bis and the kids might need to find a safe house of your own. I'd say just stay on hallowed ground but Newt ruined that plan. Ren hasn't cut you loose completely, Rachel. But he does have higher hopes for Trenton."

I roared wordlessly. How could Vampires be so… so fucked up and uncaring? Breathing heavy and pacing the kitchen, trying to calm down I said, "I'm not angry with you. I want you to know that. Those bastards are manipulative and evil and I know you didn't tell him knowing what he would do." And she really wouldn't have. Ivy would do just about anything to keep the church safe. We'd worked so hard to protect this home. We'd bled, cried, killed, sacrificed and gone to war against the biggest baddies this city had to offer to keep this place. She would never jeopardize that.

"This is just worst case scenario, of course. Otherwise I'd have moved into the safe house days ago. But if he's already sent someone to scout out Trent's place for any reason, we might need to move. This whole Felix thing is really throwing him through a loop."

I remembered back to the night Felix and Ren had both shown up in my kitchen. I remembered the look in Ren's eyes when he told me he would not end up like Felix. He'd been afraid, frantic almost and it had been real, true emotion, something that was exceedingly rare among the Undead Vampire. "I'm gonna talk to Al." I said, hoping my Demon teacher would have something that would help me.

"Trenton too." Ivy said.

"Yes I'll call him but not just yet. Quen and the girls are leaving for Ellasbeth's tomorrow morning and if I say anything it will screw things up even more."

"You might need Quen's help, Rachel. He should be here for when I cant, for when I'm with Nina."

"Quen is healing right now. He's in pain and unstable. He needs to be wherever the girls are and very far away. If he knew there was any danger he'd flip and I wont do that to him. If Trent knows Quen will notice something's up. I'll call after their plane leaves."

She sighed. "Yes that's probably best… and maybe I should just head to the safe house tonight."

"You don't think he's watching us too? Wait until morning, will you?"

"No. I mentioned to him that I would be checking on Nina tonight. He knows where she is. Once I'm in I'll let my people there know the situation. The witches have wards all over that place. Not enough to hold off an army of the dead but for Felix and any of his or Ren's people, they'll do just fine. Ren will never come himself. Not if he wants to keep a positive public image and the man is _all _about politics…"

"Tink's little red dildo, Rache!" I was so frustrated I hadn't even heard Jenks fly in until he spoke. "You look like fairy shit, what's the matter?" I sighed and told him everything Ivy and I had discussed. "Damn it Rachel, we just got _out_ of trouble and now were back in the hole! What the hell am I gonna do with you?"

"It isn't my fault…" I growled. "It isn't any of our faults. Ren Cormell is being unreasonable because he's afraid. _He's _the shitty one, not me. Now, I'm going to call Al. If I have to go over for a while are you and the kids going to be alright?"

"Its chilly out but we'll stay on watch up in the belfry with Bis and Atude." My face warmed suddenly and I calmed down, having forgotten Bis's father. The enormous Gargoyle had really taken to the church after the hunting of Ku'sox. He'd said it was a sturdy young thing for such a small building. He'd made plenty of excuses to stay in the graveyard about protecting the Worldbreaker and his Sword and how the Gargoyles wanted someone older to keep watch around here. But really, I think he just missed his son. Bis had invited him up to the steeple just yesterday and I would feel so much better leaving everyone alone with Atude around. If an enemy did approach the church he'd ruin them.

Ivy packed her things and was gone and Jenks, Belle who'd come in shortly after our discussion riding the cat and a whirlwind of shrieking pixy children whisked up into the belfry to be with the gargoyles. I was sitting Indian style on my bed with my scrying mirror in my lap in the new silence. I placed a palm firmly on the red-tinted glass and tapped a line before letting the energy swirl down into the mirror. Feeling the familiar hum of the demon collective flow through me I smiled. It had been feeling a lot softer lately, smooth and contented almost. The Demons were resting for the first time in a long while. It would never last, but for now, it was very pleasant.

_**Al.**_ I said _**Calling Al. Pick up, Al.**_

My demons annoyed and utterly masculine thoughts slipped through the collective and slithered into my mind. _**Hello, Itchy Witch.**_

I couldn't help another smile. There had been a time when I'd dreaded speaking to him and his use of the nickname he'd given me spelled trouble. Now it was just… kind of nice, familiar. _**Hey, Al. I think I have a problem.**_

_**You always have a problem, Rachel. **_I thought it was funny how his smug British cadence could calm me down. When I was in trouble he usually knew what to do. Ready with a quick curse and a smart comment to save the day.

_**But this problem involves Elves and Undead Vampires… **_I said.

_**Rachel, Rachel, Rachel… **_He admonished_**, Why must you insist on messing around with those nasty little buggars.. What did you and Trenton Aloysius Kalamack do now? **_

_**I'm not sure if Trent knows what's up just yet… **_And that reminds me, _**What the hell were you doing at his house the other day?**_

_**I was putting him into the demon collective. I told him to tell you…**_

_**He did. **_I cut him off. Well, as much as you can cut someone off with a thought. _**But I thought you weren't going to pop in there anymore. You promised.**_

_**Well he didn't seem to mind. **_Al said, and it bothered me. I didn't know why. In fact you'd think I should be happy about it. Trent and Al never got along which was a major pain in the ass considering Al was my go to guy every time Trent hired me and got us into trouble… Something was strange about it the stillness between them. It was stupid to dwell on it but there was something in the pit of my stomach telling me to dig deeper on the subject. Later, though. I'd get to it another time. _**Now what is this problem you're going on about? Mother puss-bucket it so damned quiet over here its driving me mad. I need something to do Rachel **_Then he paused and I felt a zing of delight flow from his thoughts and into me. _**I know, **_his voice was thick with excitement; _**I'll pop over there!**_

I sighed, it being too late to disagree with him because he'd already broken our connection. I hadn't even had the chance to get up off my bed before he appeared in my room. I yipped; shocked before I remembered Newt had defiled the church again and now Al could pop in and out of any room he wanted.

"Rachel!" He exclaimed, having thrown open my top dresser drawer and scooped something out. "I knew you were a black lace kind of girl…" He waved my panties in the air, a flurry of midnight frill.

"Al, put those down!" I yelled at him jumping at the skimpy thong in his fingers. It really _wasn't_ a thong… but they _did _cover almost as little when they were on.

Al moved his arm in the nick of time to dangle my underwear above my head before I could get to them and I smacked into his rock hard chest. Any other day I would have indulged him in his childish antagonizing games so he would do what I wanted him to but tonight I was serious, damn it. "Oh come on Rachel," He leaned in closer. "A Demoness is supposed to be quicker than _that._"

Then, much to his genuine shock, I reached not for my panties but for his frilly collar, gripping it tight enough to choke him and yanking him down to meet my eyes. "Do I look like I'm in a playing mood, _Demon_?" I glared hard at him, the cloying scent of Ever After snaking through my nostrils.

Anger flickered across his face shortly after the shock and then a sly, seductive grin spread across his lips. "I should steal your panties more often, Rachel. You get all rough and sexy…"

"Oh for the love of..." I let go of his collar with a shove and he staggered back before tossing the lace back into the drawer and going to collapse across my bed. I frowned, knowing that my sheets would smell like burnt amber for weeks but then again, its wasn't like I'd be entertaining anyone in here…

"It sounds like Ren Cormell is starting to think I'm less important to him than he originally thought." I grumped, looking at the ceiling with my hand on my hips, too aggravated to stare at him. "He's more interested in Trent, actually and Ivy thinks its possible he might cut ties with the two of us completely…"

"Which means?"

He sounded like he was still joking around and I looked down at him to find that same bullshitter grin plastered to his face. He was reclined against my pillows, crushed green velvet clad and looking as smug and confident as he usually did, which frustrated the hell out of me. God, he might be a crazy demon but I'm not blind… There was a hot sexy man on my bed and I, for numerous reasons, was really not allowed to touch him. Thank you, Universe, just what I ordered. Angry Undead Vampires and a tall glass of sexual frustration to wash it all down.

"Which means…?" He repeated, grin spreading to his eyes as he noticed my gaze lingering on his body.

"Well, I don't really know, but it had Ivy spooked enough to take off to a safe house with her girlfriend and tell me to watch my ass." I huffed and came to sit on the edge of the bed. "I think he might come after us if he decides he doesn't need my expertise anymore. He wanted me to find a way to save Vampire souls so they'd have them when they became immortal."

"So you told me." He was starting to sound more serious and that pleased me.

"Well, he found out about how Trent put my soul in a bottle to save my life and he thinks Trent could use the same spell to catch the Vampire soul and save it until there bodies revive, then put it back in." Al stayed silent for a while and I looked back to find him deep in thought. "What?" I asked, slumping and suddenly wishing he'd go back to being a clowny bastard.

"That actually might work…"

"What?!"

"Well, yes. If the spell works the way I think it does. But I would think it would only do the job for Vampires who are just turning. If he himself wants to be saved, someone would have to locate his soul and put it back… but he lost his a long time ago and there's no telling where it is."

"Ren would definitely want us dead if he thought that Trent could give him everything he needed. He'd want to capitalize on it big time, obviously and wiping us out would leave only Trenton knowing how the job is done."

"Leaving Cormell to monopolize the entire Vampire soul operation." He said.

"Yeah but if he thought we were the only ones who could save_ his _soul, we'd be back on the _'do not kill_' list."

"Correct."

"So… cant we do that…?"

He gave me one of those frowns that reminded me of how very old he was and how young and fragile I was compared to him. "You mean do I know how to do it and will I reveal all my secrets to you and let you sell them to a dead man…?"

I gave him sad puppy dog eyes, knowing he'd know I was joking. "Yes… please." He didn't look like he was ready to give in so I added. I'll let you dress me up and take me to a party at Dalliance…"

He raised a brow and gave in to the smile that was creeping over his face. "You'll let me put you in _anything_?"

I frowned. "Anything that covers me from the waist down and doesn't have the nipples cut out"

He laughed out loud great and big and the sound melted me. Damn it I was gonna blush like a smitten little school girl if I didn't hold it together. "Alright I'll see what I can do…" He disappeared with a pop of displaced air and then reappeared beside my dresser with my panties in his hand again. "But I'm taking these, too." And then he was truly gone.

"You son of a bitch!" I shouted, jumping from where I sat and knowing everyone in the belfry could hear me. "Oh god…" I shivered, collapsing back onto my bed face down and stirring the lingering burnt amber scent from the sheets. There was another scent there too, though, something earthy and masculine, strong. Even though my lids were closed and my face was pressed against my comforter I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what the smell was. It was Al, and he smelled good, too. I took a guilty deep breath of my teachers scent and exhaled long and slow.

_What the hell was wrong with me? _I missed stealing shit from Trent and breaking into his house in a cat suit and I was rolling around in burnt amber and the scent of my sadistic Demon instructor. Trent was probably going to end up marrying Ellasbeth, the fucking Ice Queen of the Withon family and on top of being an A Class prick sometimes, he was The Lord of the Drug Cartel in his spare time. Al, on the other hand, was a demon. I'm a demon too, but I'm younger that thirty. Al is over five-_thousand _years old. _Five-thousand _, and I'll stop there with him because that's not even the worse of it.

_And oh my god what was he going to do with my underwear…?_ I moaned all of my frustration wordlessly into my mattress, mental images of Al naked and rubbing himself with the black lace.

I couldn't bear it, flushing red and going to the closet to snatch up a spare blanket and pillow. My room reeked of Al and the Ever After and I wasn't in the mood to change sheets. I crashed on the couch surrounded by Vampire incense dreaming of drums beating to the pulse of wild magic and little blue butterflies…


	4. Must Be A Dream

Soft lips caressed my neck and tentative hands wrapped around me. He kissed me skin as if shy, like he'd never loved a woman before tonight, which was ridiculous. Al had surely done things with women that I probably couldn't stomach. Some things terrible, some things sinfully forbidden, unheard of… but the way he touched me now… I never could have imagined he'd have it in him so be so gentle…

We were laying in a bed. Who's bed, I don't know. It was dark, wherever we were and we had only the light of candles to love by. I brought my hands up to cup his face and he lifted his gaze to mine. He grinned and it reached his twinkling red eyes.

"Al… This must be a dream…" I whispered.

"Probably…" He pressed his lips to mine so softly. It wasn't a kiss, not really. It was more of a touch. Like running a finger down a lover's cheek. "But isn't it a good dream?"

"Yes…" I breathed and then I did something I'd always wanted to do. I moved my hands to the ribbon that fastened his hair back and pulled it free. His milk chocolate locks fell around his face, shimmering golden in the candlelight. "I can't remember ever seeing your hair down like this." I told him. " You never let it down… Why?" He shrugged but didn't say more. He kissed me and this time I clutched at him, finally clinging to him, feeling him like I'd wanted to for so long.

His powerful hands gripped me, pulling my on top of his and I enjoyed the feel of my naked body resting on his own. We kissed each other furiously and for all the strength he used to hold me to him, for all the roughness of his roaming hands, I did not fear him.

"Rachel…"

I shivered and pulled my lips from his, swollen from kiss. His skin was the darkest I'd ever seen it, his ruddy complexion flushing a deep red. My breast were hot where they touched his bear chest and I gasped when a hend trailed up the length of my body to cup and kneed my breast.

There was some part of me though that felt suddenly uneasy and it was beginning to spread. I froze and the hands on me stilled. I'd been kissing Al when I heard the voice… and the voice hadn't been his… Al had one hand fastened to the back of my head, buried in curls and another rubbing feather-light patterns into my thigh. So, you can imagine my shock when I realized that is was a third hand (_no, not one of mine_) that was kneading my chest.

A strong tanned arm slowly moved into my left periphery and its hand pressed into the dark pillow beside Al's head just as another warm hard chest pressed against my naked back. I suddenly became instantly conscious of my own nudity and reached to cover myself when hands stopped me. One belonging to Al, the other belonging to… _Who?_ I turned my head slowly to meet glowing green eyes. "T-Trenton…"

Trent smiled softly leaning in to kiss my cheek. "Don't look so nervous, Rachel." He laughed softly and started to nibble at my neck and shoulders, moving a hand from my chest to caress the inside of my thigh. When he rocked his hips against me I felt the obvious hardness of his intent and I yipped, shifting my body downward only to find the length of Al's excitement throbbing with the same need.

I looked at Al again to plead. I was confused and unsure, frightened even… but my eyes bulged when I spotted a pixy reclining on the vacant pillow space beside his face. "Jenks!" I shrieked. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Get a load of Rache!" He roared with laughter. "You guys aren't gonna believe this!"

I opened my mouth to curse at him and tell him to leave when I heard another familiar voice that was even less welcome. "Miss Morgan?"

I blanched when I looked up to find Bis perched on the headboard above us all, his paws raking the thick wood. "Miss Morgan, wake up!"

My vision went black and I gasped awake, finding myself not in the throws of erotic passion with two sexy men but spread out on the couch I'd taken to last night. My tank top hand ridden up and was almost baring my tits to the world and my pajama pants had gone somewhere, leaving me in my cotton undies. My legs were spread and there was a hand gripping my inner thigh… it was mine. "Oh shit!" I looked at Jenks who was grinning at me from the arm of the couch and then to Bis, who was clinging to the back of the couch, claws digging into the leather.

The young Gargoyles' whole body had flushed a solid grey that was so dark it could pass for black and his ears were flat against his head. "Miss Morgan…" His gravely voice seemed high and strangled somehow. "You were making strange noises…" He told me, his neck and chin disappearing into his shoulders when he cringed away from whatever expression flitted across my face. "I thought you were having a nightmare but I couldn't wake you… so I got Jenks…"

"That was no nightmare, Bis.." Jenks started to thrust his hips in the air and rock his pixy body to the rhythm of his own words. "That was hot sexy lovin'…"

"Oh god…" I moaned, covering my face with my hands, trying to hide my shame.

Bis said. "You were screaming for Mister Kalamack… Did you want me to call him for you?"

"NO!" I shrieked. Then softer I added. "No, that's okay…"

"You forgot the other name…" Ivy's voice came from the doorway and I arched my back and peered through my fingers to view Ivy behind me, upside-down.

I flipped over and sat up. "Other name?" I mumbled aware that Ivy could probably smell the imaginary sex on me. "What other name?"

She frowned and opened her mouth to answer me but Jenks beat her to it. "Oh Al.." He moaned in a feminine voice. "Oh god Al, this must be a dream… Oh Trenton!"

"You _have_ to be kidding me…" I sagged and sank into the couch again…

"Oh, no one's kidding…" Ivy grinned wickedly. "We could hear your steamy threesome from the garden."

"It was NOT a threesome!"

She came to stand before me, placed hands on her hips and leaned forward to meet my eyes. "Oh… wasn't it?"

I felt my face flush and I leapt up and darted towards the bathroom.

"Yeah that's right!" Jenks yelled after me, "take a niiiice, loooong, cooold shower, Rache!"

About an hour later I was sipping coffee at the kitchen table. Ivy was perched in her usual spot in front of her table and the pixy children who had not yet taken flight to find homes of their own were manning the garden. I hated to admit it but I did like it when they were outside just before it became too cold for them to live in the stump. It was warm enough that they could keep watch but just cold enough that they stayed quiet and didn't fly around shrieking and attacking each other. A mean thought, maybe, but it was true. I love those kids with all my heart but Gods were they a loud pain in the ass sometimes. Jenks was perched on the wooden napkin holder between the vampire and me and the silence that had descended upon us was starting to get awkward. I didn't like feeling awkward in my own church with my own friends whom I'd lived with for years. It was wrong.

"So what's everybody up to today?" Bis asked from his perch atop the refrigerator, attempting to break the deafening absence of noise.

"Well I got two new job offers." Jenks announced. There was something unnerving about his tone. "I was thinking I might _do both of them._"

Ivy snickered and I frowned. "Oh I hear you." The vampire added. "I've had several new offers myself… I was thinking of _taking two at a time._"

"Oh for gods sake!" I threw my hands into the air and they burst out laughing. "Is this gonna be a new thing with you guys?!"

"Don't worry, Rache." Jenks said with mock concern. "I'm sure you can handle the both of us." That last bit wasn't supposed to be an innuendo, I don't think… but they laughed harder anyways.

"I don't get it…" Bis interjected.

"I know you don't understand it Bis…" I stood and reached to pat his little head. "That's because you're a kind, innocent soul and their nasty jokes go right over your head…" I turned to smirk evilly at Jenks and Ivy but what Bis said next wiped the small amount of satisfaction off my face and made me whirl around to face him. "Oh no, I get their jokes." He corrected. "They're talking about you being naked between the Demon and Mister Kalamack." I blinked, shocked silent. "I just don't see why it makes you so mad. After a while you seemed like you were enjoying yourself… Why is are you mad if you liked it so much?"

The others roared louder and I shouted wordlessly at the ceiling. "Oh, can we just drop it!? We are in deep vampire shit, just in case you haven't noticed and you two are screwing around!"

Jenks snorted. "Screwing around…" I slammed a fist down beside the napkin holder and he hurled himself into the air. "Holy humping fairy whores, Rache! We're just jokin' around!"

"She's right Jenks." Ivy interjected. "We are in trouble here." Then she asked me, "What did Al have to say?" Her hostile opinion of Al had also changed as of late. Instead of flaring nostrils and glaring at the sound of his name, she now regarded him with the same attention she might reserve for an ever-boring yet occasionally problematic ex-boyfriend. That was also how she pretended to regard Ren Cormell when _he_ wasn't around, too, so it probably wasn't a very good indication of her actual feelings.…

I thought then about the way Trent had smiled at the mention of my Demon, shivered and shrugged the thought off. "Al thinks the whole vampire-soul-in-a-bottle thing will work but only for the newly turned undead. He thinks that we'll still be safe if we can somehow ensure the saving of Ren's soul as well."

"How in the hell do we do that?" Ivy snorted. "His soul is already lost."

"Al says we'll have to find it." I shrugged and lifted empty hands. "He seemed pretty sure of himself. I think that counts for something."

"Oh really?" Jenks drawled sarcastically.

"Well he wasn't sure if those rings would help us defeat Ku'sox and we kicked that bastards ass…"

"That you did." Ivy agreed.

There was much silence then, the mention of Ku'sox having stilled the conversation. The memory of fighting him, of the children he'd stolen… the memory of the one child who hadn't made it home alive sent me back into my seat. I looked down at my hands and felt the places where the rings had hugged my slender fingers. Al's rings hadn't been so bad… in fact if it weren't for them I wouldn't have found him when he slipped into the line. He would surely have died… The slavers, however… I shivered.

"What?" Ivy asked softly.

"I was remembering the Slaver rings…" I told her.

She winced. "Nasty things. Trent destroyed them?"

"Yeah." My voice was a little breathy, as the helpless feeling the slave ring had given me resurfaced. "Right when we came back for good."

"Good." They all said in unison.

Remembering when I thought I'd never see any of them again, I looked up at them all and smiled. "I love you guys. I know things are starting to change, but I'll always love you."

Ivy rose and came to kiss my forehead. It was nice, that touch, and I grinned. We'd long since sorted out our relationship problems and now that she had Nina, these small shows of affection towards me seemed easier for her to give and even easier for me to accept. "We love you, too. Now," She reached for her jacket and shrugged into it. "I actually do have work to do so I'm gonna go. I think its best that we all continue our lives as usual. Jenks if you have meetings and clients to deal with, do that. Rachel?"

"I need to call Trent and see how that curse is treating him." I told her and she nodded.

"My dad and I are gonna watch over the church." Bis announced. I looked up to find that he'd scurried up onto the ceiling. That always creeped me out…

I pulled my cell from my purse and hit a speed-dial number after my roommates had scattered for the day. The phone rang about four times before I got an answer. "Rachel."

"Trenton?" I knew it was Trent's number I'd called, but the man on the other line was not the Elf. "Who is this? Where's Trent?" I shouted. "Answer me you son of a bitch bastard, or I'll feed you to my Demon!" My hands were trembling and my knuckles were white, gripping my phone.

The man on the other line rasped out a chuckle. "Rachel… it's me. It's Trent."

"Bullshit…"

He cursed under his breath. "Get over here, Morgan."

_Geez… Maybe it was him…_ "Trent?"

"Gods… YES!" He did sound like angry Trent. "I took the curse."

_Shit._ "What the hell did it do to you?"

"It made me too weak, Morgan… now get over here… please…" He sounded awful.

"On my way…"

There were no men at the front gate of the Kalamack estate. There were no men inside. The business area was closed up for the long absence of employees that had ensued, as was expected and it was eerily quiet. I clutched at the rumpled clothes I'd thrown on in a hurried rush to Trent's as I continued deeper into the estate. I hadn't thrown on anything decent, I'd been so worried. Now, here I was padding barefoot down the halls of Trent's castle in baggy sweat pants, the green tank top I'd thrown on after my shower and an expensive leather jacket. I looked awful. His secondary office was empty. The other was under construction as he'd said and the garden was absent humans and elves but not, however, absent fairies.

"Any of you seen Trent?" I asked of the fairies when I found them resting in one of the great pines near the far edge of the outdoor garden.

Most of them wouldn't speak to me but Belle's sister would. "We haven't s-seen him all day." She told me in the slurry way the fairies spoke around their sharp teeth. "He has-s come here every day s-since returning… Not today."

I left the garden and went to the apartments. I thought those were deserted too until I came to the sitting room that joined Trenton's personal living area to that of Quen and the children.

_And Ceri…_ I quashed the thought.

There was a bottle of Kalamack wine on the center coffee table before the suede white couch. Some of it had been spilled on the leather and a wine flute lay on the floor a few feet away, snapped in half in a red stain of more wine. My heart started to thud in my chest when I noticed another dark stain on the corner of the tall square table that perched beside the entry to Trent's personal rooms. This stain didn't smell like wine and the coagulated smear held three hairs. Three short platinum hairs. _Blood._

"Gods help me…" I whispered and then raised my voice louder to call, "Trenton!" _The vampires. The fucking vampires._ _They'd gotten to him._ Part of me thought that he would have said so on the phone when he'd called but what if they'd gotten to him after? What if the curse had made him weak and then the living vampires had come in here and… and… "Trenton!" I reached to tap a line and felt the power of line in Trent's office surge through me. There was a bloody fingerprint on the door frame where someone had gripped it. Red speckled the cream colored rug in a trail that led to Trenton's bedroom, the door to which was ajar and with more blood smeared on the frame. "Trenton…" I called urgently, but much quieter. "Answer me, damn you…"

I heard movement then, uneven footsteps and panting. A jumble of objects as someone bumped something sounding like a dresser or a table. Someone groaned and then a man appeared in the doorway. His hair was a mess on one side of his head, blood matting the hair and running down into his right eye. His beard was bushy, unkempt. And his grey sweatpants and white t-shirt were rumpled.

"You have one chance, you piece of crap…" I hissed through gritted teeth. I could feel my boisterous curls rising to flutter about my face with the sheer energy and power I was starting to spindle. He furrowed his brows as if confused and grunted when his balance wavered as if he were drunk. "Where is Trenton Kalamack?"

"R-rachel?" He whispered.

My eyes bulged and I raced forward, dropping the line, to catch him when he started to go down. I didn't make it and he hit the ground hard. I was at his side, kneeling over him so that I could stare down at his face. "Trent? Is that you?"

He opened his eyes and grimaced. "W-who.. who…." He stopped, took a breath and licked his lips before trying again. In a more solid voice he asked me, "Who else would it be?"

"A big bearded lumberjack in your apartment!" I shouted, more relieved than angry. "What the hell is this?" I gestured to the beard. "And your hair…" It was long enough to cover his ears. "You're bleeding Trent."

"That's why I called you…" He rasped easing himself up to a sitting position. "That curse made me weak… I'd had some wine out there in the sitting room and when the magic really hit me my face got itchy and I felt drunk." Wincing, he reached to cup the wound on his head. "I didn't drink so much wine but I still tripped and caught my head on that fucking table, damn it…"

I winced, not used to hearing him curse to openly. "No one attacked you…"

"No, Rachel!" The anger, the wooziness and the blood mixed with the new head of hair and the crazy beard made him look like a drunken cave man… not a pretty sight… "Gods, I need medical attention."

"Is anyone in the infirmary?"

He frowned. "No I sent them all away. There's a first aid kit at the back of the bottom left cupboard in the bathroom."

I helped him to his bed and then fetched the first aid. The head wound hadn't been nearly as bad as I had originally thought and Trent insisted that the effects of the curse, though they were starting to wind down, were having some effect on it.

"All of my scars are gone." He told me. "And my hair…" He chuckled softly as I finished applying a gauze bandage. "I've never had a beard in my whole life…"

We laughed together softly. "Here." I said, handing him a glass of water I'd fetched. "Drink this." He took the glass from me and his hands started to shake so violently that I had to help him to drink it. It was only then that I realized he had two complete hands.

He was holding the glass and my hands were wrapped around his own. I felt his eyes on me for a long moment before he finally said, "Good as new."

"Yeah," I agreed, "good as new. How does it feel?"

"It's a little numb." He spoke once I set the glass on the bedside table. He flexed his hand and the fingers that had been missing , the ones now held up for me to examine, were much paler than the rest of him. I could even see the veins under the new skin. "The curse really hit me but I'm happy to be whole again. Thank you, Rachel."

I smiled. "Anytime."

After another pause he said, "Can I ask another favor of you? You can refuse me, of course…"

"You can _ask._" I answered sarcastically, knowing in my heart that I'd probably give him anything he asked for, as he obviously couldn't get anything for himself.

"There is a reason why I've never had a beard. I can't stand the feeling… Unfortunately I don't think I'm well enough to remove it myself…" He laughed nervously. "I don't think I can bear this much longer."

My eyes widened. "You… you want me to give you a shave?"

"Like I said, you can refuse me."

I winced, tilting my head to examine his new face hair. "It really is awful…" I laughed. "Um, yeah… I'll get rid of it for you."

He sighed; looking relieved and told me where I could find his shaving kit. It was a canvas cloth that rolled out to reveal cream, aftershave, a squat rounded brush, small scissors and a straight razor. I blanched. Of course Trenton Kalamack would shave the old fashioned way… I don't really know how to use a straight razor. At least not in a non-lethal way... This was going to be interesting.

It took some time to set him up in a chair before the bathroom mirror, as his movements were still sluggish but once he was settled with a towel bib around his shoulders I got to work. The beard itself had to be trimmed off before I could use the razor. It was an awkward task, considering I had to steady his face while I worked. He eyes didn't leave my face the whole time and it made me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was. He only spoke when I started to trim his new length of silky head hair because what I found when I started to cut made my jaw drop.

"Rachel?" He asked, sounding worried. "Rachel what's wrong?" His voice wasn't as slurry as it had been earlier.

"Trent, don't freak out…" I whispered.

"What did you do?"

I turned his head and pulled the hair back so that he could see his ears in the mirror. "Your ears… They're… pointy!"

He hurled himself from the chair, loose hair from the bib falling to the floor in great blobs. He was still unsteady, but he could hold himself up now so I didn't move to help him when he bent over the counter, his face as close to the mirror as it could be and still allow for him to view his ears. He was trying to say something but he kept stuttering, choking on the words before they could make it out of his mouth. After a moment he stopped trying to form a sentence and settled for, "What…?" Backing up and collapsing back into the chair eyes wide in wonder, a nervous laugh escaped him as he played with the pointed tips.

I eyed them. Lucy and Rae had elven ears. They were cute, adorable little pointed things. Trent's however were matured adult versions of those. Longer, sharper and regal looking. I couldn't understand why I'd only noticed them now. They were so _obvious_…

"Wow…" We both said.

Trent was going to say something more but I cut him off. "Let me touch them…" I whispered absently. Gaze fixed on him I reached out when he said nothing, placing the tip of my index finger on the point of his left ear, pulling down and releasing it. It flicked back up instantly and I giggled. "Oh my…"

I got back to work on his hair and when it was back to its usual length I told him I was going to shave the remaining stubble from his face. "I don't know how to use a straight razor though. I have no idea how this will go." I was hoping he'd just tell me to leave it, that he'd do it later.

He smirked, his five o'clock shadow catching the light. It was darker than his other hair and when he reached to rub his chin it made a scratchy sound like sand paper.

_Yuck…_ I'm not a fan of facial hair.

"I think I trust you." He said, still smiling.

I snorted. "Oh you do, do you?"

"Well, as trusting as I can feel knowing that you're about to run a blade across my throat." He showed me how to do it as best he could and after I brushed the cream on his face I brought the blade to his skin. He reached to still my hand. "Rachel, if I don't survive this tell Quen and the children that I love them."

I don't know what my face looked like then but it made him laugh out loud. For a moment I thought he'd been serious. "That is so not funny." I thumped his shoulder. "You're gonna make me too nervous, keep quiet." I don't think I've ever taken so much care with anything in my whole life. His eyes were on me again and I cursed myself when I felt my cheeks start to redden. There was something about being under the spotlight of his stare that made me want to squirm.

When I finished the last stroke and came to the sink to rinse the blade he said, "Morgan… What are you wearing?"

I turned to him, confused. That's when I noticed that he wasn't watching my face anymore. His gaze was fixed much lower and when I looked down I found that my jacket was open, revealing the thin green tank top. My nipples were hard and visible through the thin fabric. My mouth formed into a silent "_Oh…_"I dropped the knife, clutched my jacket closed and cursed under my breath, backing up against the counter. "Oh my god… Trent I…"

Trent stood slowly. He was a little shaky but steady nonetheless and he stepped right up to me. Leaning in, he reached passed me to grab a damp cloth that he then used to wipe the remaining cream from him face. We weren't touching, but his face was only a few inched from his. He continued to reach for the aftershave and he applied it, finishing his business as if I wasn't even there. He turned his face left, then right. "Perfect." He said softly. Then his eyes left the mirror and rested on me. He had his cocky rich boy mask on. It was the expression that he wore most of the time and no matter how much it infuriated me I couldn't deny that I had come to adore it. "Thank you."

Hands still clutching at the font of my jacket I said, "No problem." I couldn't look him in the eyes and I knew that my face was red hot. I tried to step around him but he sidestepped to stay in front of me.

"You sure did dress in a hurry." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Damn it, Trent…" He snorted and I looked up at him again. "Outta my way, Cookie-maker…"

The use of his old nickname made him laugh out loud again. "Or what?" He grinned, backing me against the counter once more. "You'll feed me to your Demon?"

It was what I'd threatened over the phone. My frown deepened and I was going to yell at him again but thought better of it. Cocky shit-eating grin or not, it was good to see something other than pain and loneliness on his face. I felt my expression soften and let my embarrassed anger go. "I wouldn't do that." I said.

"I know." And then he bent and kissed my cheek. I froze ad he waited a silent moment before he slipped an arm around my waist. He ran his lips across my cheek to rest just shy of the corner of my mouth.

I leaned into him and closed my eyes. The smell of his aftershave was like a wild forest and through it all I could smell that elven cinnamon and wine scent. I turned my face and our lips met. It was a long kiss and we were still and unmoving. It was… strange. I remember that my first kiss had been just like it. I'd wanted to kiss, he'd wanted to kiss and so we did… but as soon as our lips met I thought, _Oh, Gods! I'm kissing!_ I was so excited to be there, in that moment and I forgot I was actually supposed to be doing something. _Idiot… _

He pulled away from me slowly, a quiet suck of air sounding between us ever so softly. I opened my eyes and he was staring down at me, face blank and unreadable as it usually became whenever I did something he didn't quite understand. "That wasn't like that last time…" His breath caressed my face and I felt my face run hot again.

The last time we'd kissed it had been wild, frantic even. This kiss had been sad compared to that. "I'm sorry."

He caught me when I tried to move around him to the bedroom. "Don't be sorry," He was sounding like himself again. Well, he was sounding like he wasn't dazed and about to keel over. When Trent was himself he never spoke so softly to me as he spoke now. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face and it delighted me to see that he was smiling as well. I cleared my throat nervously and he stepped away, a pleasant smile still playing on his lips. "Well then. Uh…"

"Uh?" The sound sounded ridiculous coming from him and I told him so. He just laughed and for a moment I saw something in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a long, long time. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

"You looked like Trent just now." When he raised a confused brow, what I'd seen in his eyes became more obvious and I grinned. "You look like the boy I met at camp. _That _Trent. You should smile like that more often."

"If you kiss me more often." I blanched and he laughed throwing his head back like I'd never seen..

When I noticed the lack of '_Haha, just kidding_' I started to feel nervous again. I didn't understand that. I know men. I know Trent. Yet I something was eating at me, like I was a little girl again and had no idea what to do next. Not knowing what to say to his comment I changed the subject. "I think you may have a vampire problem." His shoulders drooped and he cocked his head as he frowned, clearly blindsided by my choice of topic. "I smelled vamp incense when I left last time and when I told Ivy she gave me some very interesting information. When I saw the blood in the sitting room I thought they'd gotten you."

His brows furrowed and he crossed his arms as he stalked into the other room saying, "Why would vampires come after me? I don't work with any of them directly. If I did anything not to their liking they would hit a middle man first or send me some sort of message, not show up at my house." Straight to business, that's Trent.

"You remember that I told you about my little arrangement with Ren?" I followed him out into the sitting room when he didn't stop in the bedroom and bent down to pick the broken wine flute from the floor when he began moving the table back into place.

"I do." He took the glass from me and put it in the trash before taking one of the large leather chairs opposite the couch.

I took the chair beside him and started to explain the situation to yet another person…


End file.
